Identifying Friends

Derek’s best friend is Andy. Andy’s parents never minded feeding Derek when he showed up at meal time, but Andy’s dad hasn’t ever invited Derek to join them on a hunting trip. When they were in fourth grade, Andy helped Derek sneak in through his bedroom window, and that’s how Derek (and then Nate) got chicken pox.

I thought at first that Nate’s best friend was Russel, but when I realized Russ isn’t dependable enough to be a true friend, I found Hiram, known to his buddies as “Hi Ho Silver” because his last name is Silberman. One year Hi and Nate got into trouble setting up a haunted house for Halloween. When I find out what happened, I’ll write that story.